The center for counseling and treatment of drug addiction “Labyrinth” has warned that the average age of starting to use drugs has dropped from 18 to 16 years old, and together with the KOMF organization they have requested urgent addressing of the situation and coordinated action by the institutions responsible for the protection of children and young people from the use of narcotic substances.
In the call issued to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking, they call for care in the protection of children and young people, considering that the use of drugs is increasing while the age of initiation of use is decreasing.
“Kosovo is facing numerous challenges in the prevention and treatment of child victims of drug abuse. In recent years, it is estimated that the total number of users has exceeded 35,000, while child and adolescent users continue to account for more and more of this figure every year. Based on the Labyrinth database, the average age of starting drug use has dropped from 18 years old in 2018 to 16 years old in last”, says their call.
In this appeal, it is stated that the institutions in Kosovo continue not to provide structured and sustainable preventive and rehabilitative services and programs, which are said to be more than necessary considering the growing trends of drug use by children and teenagers.
“Kosovo does not provide enough accessible services for the identification of children and young people who are victims of drug abuse. There is a lack of services and mobile teams in the community that would enable the testing and identification of possible cases of children who use narcotic substances”, the appeal states.
It is further said that professionals face great challenges in treating children who are victims of drug abuse. “They do not have the necessary resources, including multidisciplinary teams, special wards for children, to implement specialized plans and programs for rehabilitation. Professionals do not have the necessary resources to support parents or guardians in the treatment and support of their children who are victims of drug abuse,” the appeal states.
In order to address this alarming situation, it is said that it is essential to take urgent measures to increase awareness of the dangers of drug use.
Also, it is said that the development of structured programs for the prevention and treatment of addiction to narcotic substances in Kosovo and the development of specialized services for the treatment of children and youth drug users are required.
“Attention should be focused on young people and adolescents to avoid their early initiation into drug use. Likewise, it is important to develop programs to empower parents of drug-using children to increase their capacities for caring for drug-using children,” the call states.
It is further said that marijuana continues to be the most used substance in Kosovo.
“While until 2018 there was a decrease in the use of heroin in the general population, during the last few years a slight increase in heroin users has been observed, in particular in the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, while there is a rapid and very large increase in the use of cocaine in the general population”, the call states.
The appeal states that there are many reasons why children start using drugs, including the availability of drugs on the market, early childhood trauma, lack of information about the dangers of drug use, social pressure and curiosity to try new things.
“The use of drugs brings harmful consequences for the child, the family, including: damage to physical and psychological health, social problems, criminality, large financial expenses, etc.,” the call states.
